This invention relates to concrete finishing machines including surfacing units for finishing concrete surfaces, and more particularly, to a vibrating compactor assembly for use with such concrete finishing machines.
Concrete vibrator apparatus for use in vibrating concrete ahead of a concrete finishing unit on highways, and the like, is known in the art. Various types of concrete vibrating apparatus are known including concrete vibrator apparatus wherein the vibrators are moved into and out of concrete to be vibrated in a substantially vertical or rearwardly extending direction and moved forwardly along, or laterally across a highway or the like, in a step-like movement. Other concrete vibrator apparatus include vibrators which are dragged forwardly along the highway, or the like, ahead of the concrete finishing units. Another concrete vibrator apparatus, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,987 of Murray A. Rowe, et al, includes a vibrator unit movable back and forth transversely over the roadway, with the vibrator mechanism disposed in the concrete to be vibrated and being raisable and lowerable relative to the concrete to be vibrated. The vibrator mechanism is in the form of generally L-shaped members suspended on a support frame and actuated as by an hydraulic motor or the like.
In another arrangement for concrete vibrating apparatus incorporated into a concrete finishing machine as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,970 to Murray A. Rowe, the concrete finishing apparatus includes a screed mechanism for striking-off and smoothing spread concrete. The screed mechanism is vibrated to vibrate the concrete to the proper density and best quality finish during finishing.
Although these known concrete vibrator apparatus improve the quality of the concrete surface finish, these finishing processes generally require the use of water in leveling of the concrete, resulting in dilution of the concrete.